Matt About Jax: Secret Garden Cafe

There are many different ways to recommend a restaurant. I have heard everything from “They have the best tacos in Jax,” to “It’ll be the best burger you’ve ever tasted.” Well, I heard a new one this week: “They were featured on the Food Network show, ‘Restaurant: Impossible’!” I had to see it for myself; so I headed over to the Secret Garden Cafe on Beach Boulevard. Secret Garden Cafe was featured on “Restaurant: Impossible” back in February 2011. The show takes a restaurant in trouble and completely transforms it. Secret Garden received a total menu change and redesign with the help of host Robert Irvine and his design team. Since the transformation, the restaurant has been a huge success.

Even though the redesign was more than three years ago, the cafe still looks sharp. With a nice outdoor seating area and plenty of table space inside, Secret Garden is very welcoming.

The first thing I saw when I opened the menu made my mouth water — fried green tomatoes. The tomatoes are served with two dipping sauces: roasted red pepper mayonnaise and red onion marmalade. The tomatoes are then topped with goat cheese and served on a bed of lettuce. The tomatoes were crispy and delicious, and the sauces were addictive. For my entrée, I decided on their daily special: a Hawaiian Sandwich. Here’s why: the Hawaiian Sandwich is grilled pineapple, bacon and ham, topped with mayo, lettuce, tomato and Swiss cheese, served on a pretzel roll. Yep, that’s all I needed to hear. This sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I have had in Jacksonville. Add a side of pork rinds and that’s a recipe for success.

Secret Garden makes its pork rinds, kettle chips and sweet potato chips daily. Each Sunday it has a “Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar,” and you’ll find a new dessert each week.

I would personally like to thank “Restaurant: Impossible” for transforming Secret Garden Cafe into what it is today. The service was nice and fast, and most important, the food was delicious. It may be a little on the pricey side, $8 appetizer and $9 sandwich, but it was totally worth it. The next time I recommend Secret Garden Cafe to someone in Jacksonville, I’m only going to use one word: delicious.